KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE AMONG TRAVEL FIRMS IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of knowledge sharing on organizational resilience among travel firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Knowledge sharing has emerged as a critical organizational capability for strengthening resilience in today’s unpredictable business environment.
Methodology: The study employed a mixed-methods research design targeting 286 respondents drawn from 224 travel firms and 62 representatives of tourism institutions including KATO, KATA, TOSK, Ecotourism Kenya, the Tourism Regulatory Authority, the Tourism Promotion Fund, the Kenya Tourism Board, the Tourism Research Institute, the Kenya Tourism Federation, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (EA), the Tourism Professional Association, and the State Department of Tourism.
Findings: The study found that knowledge sharing had a significant positive effect on organizational resilience among travel firms. Qualitative findings revealed that while some travel firms had initiated mechanisms for sharing knowledge, many relied heavily on informal approaches such as WhatsApp groups, team briefings, and ad hoc meetings, with limited use of structured systems or formalized communication frameworks.
Conclusion: The study concludes that knowledge sharing is a vital driver of organizational resilience, enabling travel firms to respond more effectively to uncertainty, streamline decision-making, and strengthen continuity planning. Firms with structured, well-coordinated knowledge-sharing systems demonstrated greater operational adaptability and stronger recovery capacity during disruptions.
Recommendations: The study recommends that travel firms adopt formalized communication systems, invest in collaborative digital platforms, and strengthen institutional structures that support transparent information flows.
Keywords: knowledge sharing, organizational resilience, travel firms in nairobi city county, Kenya
References
Adomako, K. W., Yun, T. H., Akolgo, F. & Asamoah, E. O. (2020). Factors influencing open innovation adoption in the Ghanaian hospitality industry: The role of ICT infrastructure. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89, 102-115.
Amenta, E., & Ramsey, K. M. (2010). Institutional theory. Handbook of politics: State and society in global perspective, 9(1), 15-39.
Baghersad, M., & Zobel, C. W. (2022). Organizational resilience to disruption risks: developing metrics and testing effectiveness of operational strategies. Risk Analysis, 42(3), 561-579.
Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120.
Chen, L., & Wang, X. (2024). Digital knowledge management in tourism: A systematic review and future research agenda. Information & Management, 61(2), 103742.
Chen, R., Xie, Y., & Liu, Y. (2021). Defining, conceptualizing, and measuring organizational resilience: A multiple case study. Sustainability, 13(5), 25-37.
Colberg, T. (2024). Measuring Organisational Resilience: Combining Strategic and Operational Dimensions. Journal Of Business Management, 2(2), 1-28.
Cooper, A. L., Leslie, G. D., & Brown, J. A. (2022). Defining the influence of external factors on nurse resilience. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 31(6), 1523-1533.
Department for Culture, Media & Sport. (2021). Tourism recovery plan. UK Government. https://www.visitbritain.org/introduction-tourism-britain/tourism-recovery-plan
Doroshenko, L. A., & Romanchak, Y. A. (2023). Interaction Of the Organization with the External Environment. Scientific Challenges of Economic Development in the Context of Digital Transformations, 6(2), 144-149
Fietz, B., Hillmann, J., & Guenther, E. (2021). Cultural effects on organizational resilience: Evidence from the NAFTA Region. Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, 73(1), 35-46.
German National Tourist Board. (2023). The future of data management for inbound tourism to Germany. Germany Travel. https://www.germany.travel/en/newsroom/blog-podcast/blog-detail-63105.html
Government of Kenya. (2023). National tourism strategy 2023-2028. Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Retrieved from https://www.tourism.go.ke/
Hepfer, M., & Lawrence, T. B. (2022). The heterogeneity of organizational resilience: Exploring functional, operational and strategic resilience. Organization Theory, 3(1), 263-271
Ho, G. K., Lam, C., & Law, R. (2023). Conceptual framework of strategic leadership and organizational resilience for the hospitality and tourism industry for coping with environmental uncertainty. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 6(2), 835-852.
Howard, C. S., & Irving, J. A. (2021). A cross-cultural study of the role of obstacles on resilience in leadership formation. Management Research Review, 44(4), 533-546.
Hussain, T., Uddin, A., Farooq, S., Khan, F. E., & Ahmed, T. (2023). External Factors Affecting Organisational Performance. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 7(2).
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (2023). Canada 365: Welcoming the world. Every day. The federal tourism growth strategy.
Government of Canada. https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-tourism-sector/en/canada-365-welcoming-world-every-day-federal-tourism-growth-strategy
Judi, T. E., & Kurniawan, D. (2024). Public policy and organizational resilience: Leadership, innovation, and sustainability in the post-pandemic era. Manajemen dan Bisnis, 23(1), 197-212.
Kato, K. (2020). Debating sustainability in tourism development: Resilience, traditional knowledge and community: a post-disaster perspective 1. In Tourism Development in Japan (pp. 224-238). Routledge.
Kenya Association of Travel Agents. (2022). Annual report on travel industry challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from https://kata.co.ke/
Kenya Ministry of Tourism. (2020). Draft Revised National Tourism Policy, 2020 on Enhancing Sustainable Tourism in Kenya. Republic of Kenya. https://www.tourism.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Policy-Tourism-Draft-May-2020-.pdf
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Economic Survey 2023. Retrieved from https://www.knbs.or.ke/economic-survey-2023/
Kenya Tourism Board (2023). Welcome to Kenya Tourism Board. Retrieved from https://ktb.go.ke/
Kenya Tourism Board. (2021). About Us. Retrieved from https://ktb.go.ke/about-us/
Kenya Tourism Board. (2024). Tourism sector performance report 2024. Retrieved from https://ktb.go.ke/
Kenyatta University (2024). Global Organizational resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC). Retrieved from https://www.ku.ac.ke/gtrcmc/
KNBS (2023). Survey 2023. Retrieved from https://www.knbs.or.ke/download/-survey-2023/
Lasrado, F., & Kassem, R. (2021). Let's get everyone involved! The effects of transformational leadership and organizational culture on organizational excellence. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 38(1), 169-194.
Lenzen, M., Geschke, A., West, J., Fry, J., Malik, A., Giljum, S., ... & Schandl, H. (2022). Implementing the material footprint to measure progress towards Sustainable Development Goals 8 and 12. Nature Sustainability, 5(2), 157-166.
Liow, M. L. S., Yeow, K. C., Sam, C. Y., & Heng, J. A. J. (2021). The influence of brand orientation and knowledge creation on Organisational performance of Malaysian tourist resorts. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 24(1), 175-204.
Liu, C., Williams, A. M., & Li, G. (2022). Knowledge management practices of tourism consultants: A project ecology perspective. Tourism Management, 91, 104491.
Liu, Y., Chen, R., Zhou, F., Zhang, S., & Wang, J. (2021). Analysis of the influencing factors of organizational resilience in the ISM framework: An exploratory study based on multiple cases. Sustainability, 13(23), 134-152.
Madhani, P. M. (2010). Resource based view (RBV) of competitive advantage: an overview. Resource based view: concepts and practices, Pankaj Madhani, ed, 3-22.
Masaki, E. A., John, W. F., & Abel, C. (2021). Impact of ICT tools and apps on tourism destination marketing: A case of RDB and Marriot Hotels, Kigali, Rwanda. International Journal of Social Science and Research, 6(4), 1232-1249.
McLeod, M., Vaughan, D. R., Edwards, J., & Moital, M. (2024). Knowledge sharing and innovation in open networks of tourism businesses. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 36(2), 438-456.
Moura, D. D., & Tomei, P. A. (2021). Strategic management of organizational resilience (SMOR): a framework proposition. Revista Brasileira de Gestão de Negócios, 23, 536-556.
Ndung’u, N., & Kavinda, L. (2021). Strategic management practices and performance of three star hotels in Nairobi City County, Kenya. International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration, 3(7), 590-604.
Odunga, E. W., Kieti, D., & Too, J. K. (2020). Effect of knowledge creation by tourism stakeholders on destination competitiveness, Baringo County, Kenya. The International Journal of Business & Management, 8(4), 145-158.
OECD. (2021). Education at a glance 2021: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/
Ogunmokun, O. A., Eluwole, K. K., Avci, T., Lasisi, T. T., & Ikhide, J. E. (2020).
Propensity to trust and knowledge sharing behavior: An evaluation of importance-performance analysis among Nigerian restaurant employees. Tourism Management Perspectives, 33, 100590.
Ondiek, R. O., & Ombui, K. (2023). Knowledge management practices and performance of cultural heritage institutions in Nairobi City County, Kenya. International Journal of Social Sciences Management and Entrepreneurship, 7(2), 31-46.
Patwary, A. K., Alwi, M. K., Rehman, S. U., Rabiul, M. K., Babatunde, A. Y., & Alam, M. M. D. (2022). Knowledge management practices on innovation performance in the hotel industry: mediated by organizational learning and organizational creativity. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication.
Penrose, E. T. (1959). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Oxford University Press.
Pew Research Center. (2021). Mobile technology and home broadband 2021. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/06/03/mobile-technology-and-home-broadband-2021/
Prayag, G., Muskat, B., & Dassanayake, C. (2024). Leading for resilience: Fostering employee and organizational resilience in tourism firms. Journal of Travel Research, 63(3), 659-680.
Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Ramakrishna, S., Hall, C. M., Esfandiar, K., & Seyfi, S. (2023). A systematic scoping review of sustainable tourism indicators in relation to the sustainable development goals. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(7), 1497-1517.
Republic of Kenya (2020). Enhancing Resilience and Sustainable Tourism in Kenya. Retrieved from https://www.tourism.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/28th-August-National-Tourism-Policy-Review.pdf
Shek, D. T., & Wilkinson, A. D. (2022). Leadership and resilience: where should we go next? Journal of leadership studies, 16(2), 50-55.
Tourism Regulatory Authority. (2020). Kenya tourism act implementation guidelines. Government Printer.
Toylan, N., Semerciöz, F., & Hassan, M. (2020). Knowledge sharing in strategic alliance relationships: Empirical research on hotels in Turkey. European Journal of Tourism Research, 24, 2403-2403.
UN Women. (2021). Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2021. UN Women. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/09/progress-on-the-sustainable-development-goals-the-gender-snapshot-2021
Vaidya, H., & Chatterji, T. (2020). SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities: SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda. In Actioning the Global Goals for Local Impact: Towards Sustainability Science, Policy, Education and Practice (pp. 173-185). Springer.
Wang, J., & Ritchie, B. W. (2023). Tourism crisis and disaster management: Building organizational resilience through dynamic capabilities. Tourism Management, 94, 104651.
Wekesa, E. N. (2022). Influence of knowledge management on customer satisfaction in four- and five-star hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, Kenya Methodist University].
Were, O. E., Dammianah, K., & Jackson, T. (2021). Effect of knowledge sharing on destination competitiveness: tourism stakeholders' perspectives.
Wernerfelt, B. (1984). A Resource-Based View of the Firm. Strategic Management Journal, 5(2), 171-180.
World Travel and Tourism Council. (2024). WTTC reveals U.S. travel & tourism sector exceeding previous records. https://wttc.org/news/2024-wttc-reveals-us-travel-tourism-sector-exceeding-previous-records
